Final Year for Saga Ruby

[June Ingram]

Thank you, Isabelle, for posting the link to the story about Saga Ruby.  It is a very good article, quite sympathetic, and it includes some very nice photos of Ruby.  Yes, comments are definitely well worth reading.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Another article here on Maritime Matters, with some fine photos too.

http://maritimematters.com/2014/01/a-last-look-inside-saga-ruby/

Also some comments on the design work created for her when she was built as the brand new Vistafjord.

[pete cain]

Nice! thankyou Isabelle

[Twynkle]

The penultimate voyage on board Saga Ruby
A report by Des Cox, our 'host' on board for the cruise which included many seafarers associated with Maritime Memories
and incidentally, the director of Snowbow - the website where Robert Lloyd's art work is for sale.
Des is also film-maker of the many fine old shipping films shown on TV sets on board all Cunarders as well as many other cruise ships.
 http://www.maritime-memories.co.uk/review-of-voyage-19.php

[cunardqueen]

She was my first ever ship visit as the Vistafjord, l was tendered out to her when she anchored in Kirkwall Bay. The same year as l set of on my first QE2 cruise in 1986. as a very young ship fan it was a great introduction to Cunard. I was given a quick ship tour and then taken for lunch where l met Perr The Rest manager and as a souvenir he gave me a NAC Fish plate.

Years later on the Hotel Managers table on QE2 l mentioned this to the Purser Jan Kristiansen, lm sure he told me that he was very ill, but remarked on what a small world it was.

Iv always said, No one looks after a visitor like Cunard does.     

[Barumfox]

I have just come across this thread and after sparking a trip down memory lane thought it might be an idea to add some photos which are more fitting of a fine ship than those of her on the beach at Alang. On 9th January 2014 I happened to be staying overnight at the Holiday Inn next to Mayflower Park prior to joining QM2 for the first segment of her  World Cruise down to Capetown. Having noticed on the Shipfinder App that Saga Ruby was somewhat surprisingly making her way up Southampton Water at 10.30pm that night I finished a coffee and hen went out to the Park viewing area to watch her approach - first photo - and then dock behind fleetmate Saga Pearl II - as shown in the second photo the following morning.

After boarding QM2 in the Ocean Dock and being out on deck in the afternoon I heard her saluting another ship and then realised Saga Ruby was sailing past her former Cunard fleetmate so took the other two photos including one of her passing the Queen Elizabeth also starting her World Cruise (via New York) that day. - a comparison of Cunard past and present.  P&O's Arcadia was also in port - and, ironically had been the ship initially intended to replace the Caronia in the Cunard fleet as Queen Victoria in January 2005 before Cunard decided that she was not totally suitable for their needs and ordered the current Queen Victoria in April 2004,  which did not enter service until December 2007 so leaving Cunard a two ship fleet for another three years.

Another personal coincidence was that I had managed to get on Caronia's last cruise before delivery to Saga on 1st November 2004 and our last call was at Lisbon with QM2 - and as with Saga a transfer of stores took place. QM2 then led Caronia down the Tagus on a beautiful evening before accelerating away to get to Southampton 24 hours before Caronia. On arrival at the QEII terminal there were Saga lorries lined up with refit material as she was sailing to Malta for refit at noon.

It is sad to think that 2004 voyage may also have been the last one on a Cunard ship (also their last English built ship) with a traditional -ia name but this may well be the case as  - under Carnival it now seems obsessed with Queen names and has forgotten the merits of a balanced fleet with ships of different sizes.

Vistafjord / Caronia / Saga Ruby may be gone but is not forgotten.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Thank you so much, Barumfox, for those beautiful memories and pictures. I am glad you caught sight of her one more time, looking great.


We were lucky enough to have sailed on Caronia during her last Cunard year and were charmed by the ship. She was like a smaller QE2, and we liked both the ship and her interiors on the one hand, and her restaurant for all passengers on the other. This enabled our little group to be sharing meals together at the same table.